Approximately 20 casual staff are looking for work as the Canungra FoodWorks team comes to term with the loss of the supermarket.
A FoodWorks spokesperson said the store will not reopen for the foreseeable future due to damage sustained in a fire on the evening of Monday 17 April 2023.
“We are asking any businesses in Canungra to please consider FoodWorks staff first if they are looking for employees,” the spokesperson said.
“Our main consideration at this point is the well-being of staff members, many of whom have been with us for a number of years.”
Most of the staff seeking work are juniors aged between 14 and 18 years who are trained in customer service, sales, deli and fruit and vegetable display and storage.
Several employees are available for full time employment, however many are still at school and seeing casual hours to align with their study commitments.
Dylan Arndt has been working at Canungra FoodWorks for a year and a half and was at the staff meeting on Thursday 20 April.
“It was really an emotional experience seeing everyone looking so down at the fact that a place I’ve been working at every single week for the past few years is just … gone,” he said.
Other staff members expressed disbelief that their place of work could be destroyed so quickly.
“It felt kind of unreal,” said 17 year old Braelie Buckley, “We go here every week and we’ve been working here for so long, there’s so many memories and its over in a second.”
Emily Livingston has been working at Canungra FoodWorks for two and a half years and hopes that the customer service training she received while working at FoodWorks will prove a valuable skill for potential employers.
“We have great customer service skills,” she said.
Local businesses who may be able to offer employment can contact Canungra FoodWorks Manager, Carlan Shepherd on 0459 530 686.
